


This Must Be the Feeling

by franchouchou



Category: THE iDOLM@STER, THE iDOLM@STER: SideM
Genre: Awkwardness, Established Relationship, Foreplay, Kinda, M/M, Tickling, but relatively early in said relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2018-11-17 23:10:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11278701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/franchouchou/pseuds/franchouchou
Summary: Kyoji's head is a mess as he tries to make sense of what he thinks about touching and being touched by hisflirty, fun, and 31-year-oldunit mate.





	This Must Be the Feeling

     As Minori played with the lock on Kyoji's apartment door, Kyoji fixated on the feeling of his hand being held in Minori's free hand. It was soft as usual, and had a certain dependable warmth to it, although it wasn't as if Kyoji, or really either of them, needed the extra heat on the summer evening they were trying to retire from.

      Minori was the first one through the door, tugging Kyoji along perhaps unknowingly harshly, reminding him just how strong he was. Though it was never anything that hurt Kyoji, who was a bit bigger and sturdier enough anyways, it still managed to impress him. These thoughts were interrupted by Minori releasing his hand, to move it then to his shoulder to lightly push down and better land a peck of a kiss at the corner of Kyoji's uncurved lips.

      Contrary to that, the ever sprightly Minori was smiling as he pulled away, keeping the two of them locked in eye contact for a bit before he took off his shoes and said something about going to the shower to rinse off the day's work.

      Earlier that day they had done idol work with their fellow unit member, Pierre, which entailed the filming of a PV out in the hot sun. They were still fairly new to the whole professional idols thing, but it was fun to shoot the commercial, and to goof around as naturally as the three of them do. They gave Producer and the director and cameraman an easy time. The one having the hardest time out there was probably Kyoji, since a large part of the goofing around was actually getting goofed on behind the scenes by Minori. Minori often took great care to nurture Kyoji's talents as an idol, like giving him posing lessons which continued to pay off greatly, but at the same time he was the one who picked up on all the teasable parts of Kyoji, and from time to time, ran with them.

      Kyoji groaned at the thought while bent over browsing the fridge. He passed over cold cans of beer in search of his salted rice balls. Yes he was a former convenience store worker who developed an affinity for rice balls what with having such easy access to them, but did he need to be teased for that too? _At least_ , Kyoji thought while chewing, _Minori relents sometimes_. It's true he didn't let it interfere with work too much. He did let Kyoji keep up the image of a cool and composed prince as an idol.

      _Aah, I really can't get mad at the guy._ Kyoji ruminated on the light, airy yet almost bark-like quality of his lover's more genuine laughs, and on the radiance of his face when happy, how the man can let his complete joy show. He'd seen some of that today, and not only at his expense.

      Just about when he was finished with his food Minori came in from his shower. He had a small towel around his shoulders that he was using to absently pat at his half-dry hair.

      "Right," Kyoji said suddenly, and hurried over to turn the air conditioner on from the controller on the counter near Minori.

      Minori huffed out a little laugh. "You're really like a prince, on a mission or something? Or do you just love doing everything for little old me? Thank you, Kyoji." He started stroking Kyoji's upper arm with a hand. "You're going to take a shower too, right? Then we can watch that show?"

      "Ah, sure..." Between Minori's soft expression, the feel of his smooth fingers, and the slight cling of one of Kyoji's own shirts under the defined collarbones of Minori's washed-clean body, Kyoji didn't know what to focus on. "But you can watch some without me too, since it'll start soon."

      "I know I can. I've got it recording to three DVRs anyways. But, come onnn." Minori only seemed pretend-mad when he drew out that last word, leaning hard into Kyoji.

      Okay, okay. Kyoji knew he should go to the shower then, which meant moving away from Minori's persistent touch. Before doing so he inelegantly caught the end of some locks of Minori's long hair between his fingertips, but without knowing what to do with it, so he just sort of brushed it against Minori's jawline. He couldn't really say anything just then without sputtering, not having planned a follow-up and already beginning to doubt his ability to tease. Minori was looking at him a little confused, and he knew he needed to go.

     "Ah, I'll dry your hair for you too, I won't be long."

 

* * *

    

     The current feeling Kyoji was experiencing was a numbness around his shins and ankles. He was sat on the rug by his couch crosslegged, Minori resting the back of his head in the nook there as a sort of pillow. The booze he'd fetched earlier coupled with the particular brand of bliss he got from watching a new episode of his favourite idol variety program had him moved down like that, talking aloud about the cute younger girls and other appeals of it almost as animatedly as when he was standing up.      

     Annoyingly, Kyoji found, Minori was raking back his hand over one of Kyoji's clothed calves. He was unconsciously teasing him with the fleeting feeling over his muscles as he rambled on. Kyoji sighed when he glanced at the low table beside them—three-quarters of Minori's drink still there. Minori wasn't what Kyoji would consider a lightweight—he just really didn't need much prompting to get into this state.

      Minori stopped and turned his head a little.

      _Ah._ It was when their eyes met that Kyoji realized he had his fingers in Minori's hair, brushing through it sporadically while in thought. He felt the need to hurry out an explanation.

      "I-I'm trying to get your hair off my feet. And untangle it a bit, if that would help you out."

      "Fufu." There was that huff of a laugh that Minori had. "That's kind of you, Kyoji." His eyes, locked on Kyoji, were warm. After a moment's pause, what was it that Kyoji was expecting now? He...wanted to hear more. More than the small chuckles with the enigmatic smiles, Kyoji wanted to plumb the depths of where Minori's true laughter came from. And so to that end, he thought he would tickle him.

      It started with a light combing, not in his hair anymore but near his collarbones and at the sides of his neck. Kyoji caressed the skin there, rhythmically, slow to start with so as to test the waters. Minori kept his even breath and was mostly silent, until he started to hum a bit. When Kyoji let the fingers of one hand spider down slightly to the front of his shirt, Minori stopped and brought up the back of one hand to cover his eyes. The motion made Kyoji halt to check Minori's expression—lips slightly parted as if to say something, corners upturned. Kyoji didn't really know what to make of it, but it was still not the sort of reaction he set out to get, so he kept going. The hand still at his neck joined the other one in its movement over the cotton shirt, making small circles at the ribs, flickering broadly across his chest, and a whole host of other things. This earned him what sounded like a scoff from Minori.

      Kyoji paused bewildered, but the pieces came together when Minori hiked up his shirt. All the way. _Right._ Why was he doing this through clothes again? Kyoji could have apologized, but the new expanse of smooth, toned skin underneath him left his mouth feeling dry.

      Minori had such a slender and soft-looking body that anyone else could be deceived into thinking it was delicate. Kyoji watched the rise and fall of Minori's flat chest and couldn't help but notice a slight glistening. Kyoji, getting back to it, hadn't really kept his composure and especially found it hard to do so after taking all that in. All that, which was still there, sprawled and waiting for him. He was stumped on what to do and what his goals were, but he could at least remember advice he had read on the net. _Aim for the sensitive points, like the feet, neck..._ ah, the armpits. And Kyoji did so, quickly and clumsily crooking his hands to push past the fabric bunched under Minori's arms. So clumsily that he skidded past a nipple, hard, making Minori yelp out a moan.

      Kyoji was then so embarrassed on top of apologetic and still determined to flit around in his armpits that Minori had to jab him in the leg with his elbow, while laughing. "Kyoji! Stop, stop. What in the world are you doing?" Minori's face was a tinge red. "Your poking hurts."

      Kyoji didn't think that he would admit it if it had made him ticklish anyways, but he had a response to that. "Hey, I just wanted to make y-you..." No, he could only trail off.

      Minori smiled but averted his gaze. "I might be misunderstanding something here. I thought this was foreplay and..."

      Kyoji stalled with, "Eh? You're not exactly in the wrong..." as he continued to reflect on his own motives. It really wasn't for a laugh, right? He'd wanted to tickle him and get him rolling, and it wasn't necessarily going to be sexual. But that was only at first. He couldn't keep his fantasies out of it after he saw Minori almost shirtless, he never really could... But maybe the rest, before that, was pure? Maybe? Rambling thoughts. He'd just always had Minori being generously touchy-feely with him, and he wanted to return the favour, or something. Or rather, he really wanted to make him feel...special. "But how do you say that to someone when you're as awkward as I am?"

      "Huh....." Minori mused.

      _Whoops._ "Damn, sorry." Everything he was thinking had accidentally been said out loud. Rambling words rather than rambling thoughts. "I didn't mean to say all that. And, I guess, jabbing at you without saying anything is awkward in its own way, too." He was all at once very aware of his hands, resting motionlessly at the top of Minori's ribs. The now calm heartbeat he could feel through them made his fingers itch with want, despite the conversation.

      "Fufu... It wasn't all jabbing. A lot of it felt really nice... But that's what you're into, tickling? And that thing with my hair before you went to the shower, was that?"

      Kyoji blinked. "Uh, I don't know. I think it's more like, any excuse to feel you." As a test, Kyoji slowly splayed a hand wide and carefully clinched one of Minori's nipples between two fingers.

      "It wouldn't have surprised me if you were, though, considering what else you're into! Ah but Kyoji, please cheer up. Touch me with care. Care's... always behind my touches. It's a bit embarrassing to say out loud, fufu... But you always deserve it, and I know _you_ can do it. You're a...!...good boy." Kyoji wasn't exactly sure how to react to the meaning behind Minori's first sentence then and there, but he could hear his breath hitch a bit on that last one, and he loved it.

      "A good boy, huh..." Rubbing at the tender skin continued to get these quiet, involuntary but approving sounds out of Minori, confirming again that he was sensitive in at least some places, even if he wouldn't easily admit it.

      While Kyoji was tweaking and pulling at Minori, he could feel him shudder, and marveled at the fact that he had the power to cause that. He began to feel his mind cloud up with ideas of what he wanted the two of them to do next. At that moment Minori bent and propped himself up a bit off the ground and caught Kyoji's lips in a voracious kiss, an almost-slam that made their tongues finally remember moisture and warmth, and what purpose felt like.

      When he flopped back onto Kyoji's crossed legs he affectionately said, "Yeah, you are, and I really cherish you." He smiled shyly at Kyoji. "But it's good we got that kiss out of the way early because I think my ass might actually be asleep, and I'm going to have to stay put like this."

      "Minori-san..." Kyoji started.

      "Now now, don't worry! I can do everything from here. After all, it's good for an idol to be acrobatic, you know?"

      Kyoji couldn't even act exasperated at that. He was more than happy to go along with whatever the 'everything' Minori was suggesting entailed, knowing that the two of them were going to keep this feeling for a long time.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to anyone who ever translated a sideM thing, and especially to two people who helped me fix this up (you know who you are).
> 
> kyomino is  
> pretty good


End file.
